Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1887-11-01
NATURAL q AS.
why Consumers Have Been Kicking for
the Past Few Days.


the Past Few Days.
The question that now agitates the pub
lie mind is, "What is the matter with the
natural gas?" and thereby hangs many
tales. The man who gets up i'll the morn
ing and finds no hot breakfast awaiting
and the servant girl standing over the
stove waiting for the gas to come, that
she may make q fire,ssis kicking; the nail
manufacturer, who has promised his pa
irons so many kegs of nails in certain
| time and finds his mill closed down on
account OF the shortage Of natural gas, is
justifably incenSed; the glass manutac-
turer, who sees pots of glass cooling of
and liable to be chilled, is kicking for a
cause, and in fact all the consumers OF the
great fuel have been up in arms for week
or so on account Of these discrepancies in
the supply of gas, while the people who
are still using coal as fuel stand by and
smile and smile, and rather congratulate
themselves.
RumOrs rs to the case OF the shortage
have been thick, and while many people
trouble yet they were inquiring around to
find what the facts were. Some claimed
that the gas was giving out, that they
always did say it wouldn't last any time,
while others said they were sure the sup
ply pipe from the wells to the city was not
large enough and new line would have
to BIZ laid before q good supply could be
secured. Probably these surmises are
partly correct. y
The consumption of natural gas among
private consumers has increased to 4 won
derful extent and of course the company's
line is pretty well taxed to furnish suifi-
cient quantity of gas. Especially is this
so in the lower end of the city and Ben
wood, where the pressure is naturally
lighter. As the West Virginia Company
furnishes all private consumers in the city,
besides number Of factories and the Riv-
erside steel plant, pipe mill and the Ben
wood nail mill, and fearing that when cold
weather came or the supply would run
light, the company, week or so ago, deter
mined TO shut off their wells, one at time,
that they might bore them deeper and
thus be assured Of stronger supply, and
it was thought best to put consumers to n
slight inconvenience at this time rather
than after winter fully sets in.
The Parkinson well was the first shut off
and bored deeper, and after that was COM
pleted the Paxton we'll was treated like.
wise, with good results in both cases. Now
the supply is as heavy as at any time and
no future trouble is anticipated unless
something of an unexpected nature turns
up. Three new wells are also being bored
which promise to show up in good shape.
The increase of consumption Is so great
this fall that had the company not taken
this measure to increase the pressure they
would have been compelled to refuse new
applicants for gas, or served all in an un-
satisfactory manner.
There was a very perceptible shortage
on Sunday morning, and people in the
upper end Of the city had hardly blaze
until about nine o'clock, when the diff
Guilty was discovered and rsmedied. In
attempting to turn on a heavier force at the
upper gate the man in charge made mis-
take and turned the gas off instead of on,
and did not discover his mistake until
people began to kick. Yesterday morn
ing'S weak supply was caused from the
fact that the company was helping out the
Wheeling Company on account Of the
break on their line. Outside of these
emergencies the company reports every
thing in first class condition and say they
will be able to give their patrons efficient
service in the future, if nothing out of the
usual transpires.